Old shaman ghurra, churning rod holder, Nepal, 1st half 20th century

4 Shaman figures in different poses in a somewhat crude style. The lower part where the churning rod goes through has an extra edge on the outside. Beautiful varied patina. And neatly placed on a metal stand, specially made for this object. This price is TEMPORARY.

Length: 23.5 cm
Weight: 502 grams
Origin: Nepal.
Date: 1st half of the 20th century
Provenance: Obtained from a Flemish private collection

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More information about ghurras:

For centuries, the Nepalese mountain dwellers used the ghurra (churning rod holder) as a tool to churn milk into (clarified) butter. This ritual is based on the age-old Hindu myth, the Samudra Manthana: the churning of the primeval ocean by gods and demons. This myth not only tells the story of creation, but also depicts the battle between good and evil. Through the use of the ghurra, the act of churning is transcended into a sacred event; the ritual confirmation of the Samudra Manthana. The process of churning is for the Nepalese 'darshan', a sacred time of day to be blessed by their gods. The decorations on the ghurras refer to the gods of the Hindu pantheon and are, as it were, the connecting signs to the intangible mystery of the universe. Ghurras are therefore an expression of a transcendent reality, hidden under the veil of observable reality.

Ghurras have a round shape at the bottom that represents the sun disk (chakra), symbol of Vishnu, the patron god of the country and the people of Nepal. The sun disk represents the miraculous power of the universal soul, which creates, sustains and destroys in all spheres of the universe. On the sun disk there is a mostly vertical extension in the form of a lingam, symbol of Shiva (the god of destruction and re-creation). This part is made up of symmetrical figures with symbolic elements. No detail in the representation is a personal invention, everything has a ritual meaning.

For information about the ghurras, use was made of the exhibition catalogue published in 2004: Ghurras, gods from the Himalaya - Nepalese folk art. Composition and editing Annemarie De Gendt and Paul De Smedt.